We are happy to announce the launch of Protect 9.2 and Empower. With Protect 9.2, here are three things to remember: speed, automation, and flexible scheduling. Empower is a new cloud-based product that brings asset management, Protect integration, and Mac patching. Let’s explore details for Protect and Empower.

Protect 9.2

Speed

One of the first things existing customers should notice are significant improvements in assessment time. Protect 9.2 can now assess patches in as much as half the time compared to previous versions. This improvement should be great for narrow maintenance windows or when quick compliance checks are needed – not to mention regular patch cycles.

Automation

Administrators can create templates that dynamically update. This ensures that systems that often leave the network are kept up to date no matter where they go or for how long. For the more strictly managed systems, admins can create granular baselines that allow for detailed test and approval processes, mitigating any worry that a patch will inadvertently break a system. With new Predictive Patch technology, Protect can anticipate what admins will need next and distribute it across the enterprise before it is detected as missing.

Flexible Scheduling

We all know that patch management is primarily driven by Patch Tuesday so scheduling should follow as well. With Protect 9.2, administrators can create schedule that reflect reality, such as rollouts for the Saturday following Patch Tuesday. Before, there were challenges where the following Saturday (or pick your rollout day of choice) could be the second or third day of that month. With the new flexible scheduling, delta scheduling will give the right target from month to month.

Empower

Empower has been in the works for years and now it’s finally here. With Empower, customers have a cloud-platform that provides asset management, Mac patching, and more features to roll out seamlessly in the future. Current Protect customers will have access to Empower’s asset management and protect integration capabilities. Mac patching is a separate subscription.

Architecture

Empower introduces a unique, yet familiar, architecture to the Shavlik family. The management service is in the cloud – no servers needed. The console is web-based so access it anywhere. On premise, the most unique piece is the sentinel. The sentinel is a component that is installed for agentless gathering of asset information. For Mac patching, there is a new agent that is similar to the Protect Cloud agents and communicates with Empower for patching. This combination of cloud, agentless, and agent-based isn’t new to Shavlik (Protect Cloud being a prime example), but it is a new foundation for the future of security and management.

Asset Management

Using the sentinel, Empower will be able to perform agentless gathering of asset information including hardware, software, users and events. This is a new view into an IT that is easy to deploy and maintain.

Protect Integration

With Protect 9.2, administrators will be able to integrate patch compliance data into the web console. Combined with Mac patch information, this will provide a single view across systems that is easy to access.

Mac Patching

Mac OS X systems are under increasing attack and patching Mac OS X is a new feature that complements Windows patching capabilities. Using an agent and the Empower cloud, Mac OS X systems can be patched anywhere – just like their Windows friends.

Summary

We’re really excited about the launch of Protect 9.2 and Empower. Whether you’re an existing customer or new to Shavlik, we believe the future of patching and systems management is easier, faster, and more flexible than ever.